How to Write a Paper 1 Introduction (Without Overthinking It)

1. Writing your introduction should be quick, simple, and efficient. Ideally, it should take less than 5 minutes of your exam time.
2. To avoid overthinking or getting stuck chasing the "perfect" sentence, use a straightforward formula that keeps you focused and fluent.
3. Trying to craft the perfect introduction often wastes time and breaks momentum.
4. The trick is to write something clear, purposeful, and structured, so you can move on to the analysis where the marks really are.

The Formula: 5 Simple Steps

1. Basic details
   1. Include the author’s name, the title of the text, and the text type.
2. Brief summary
   1. A short, descriptive sentence summarizing what happens in the passage (no analysis).
3. Unique Big Picture observation
   1. A fresh or insightful comment on tone, message, structure, or something stylistically interesting, keep it general and non-technical.
4. Clear thesis
   1. A sentence that answers the guiding question and includes the writer’s purpose.
5. Outline of points 
   1. A short list of the ideas or techniques you will analyze, in the order you’ll present them.

1. Model IB Level 7 Introduction

In this prose extract from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the first-person narrator Offred sits alone in her assigned bedroom, quietly observing her surroundings under the regime of Gilead. While little action occurs, the stillness of the scene conceals deep psychological unrest, as Offred’s attention to mundane objects such as the window, the rug, and the chair reveals her search for agency within a system that denies her subjectivity. The passage captures a moment of still defiance through memory and observation. Atwood uses spatial symbolism, fragmented interior monologue, and a detached yet quietly defiant tone to explore the erosion of identity under authoritarian control and the fragile persistence of inner freedom. These techniques highlight Offred’s quiet resistance and illustrate how language and memory become acts of survival.

2. Model IB Level 7 Introduction

In the non-fiction extract from Alex Perry’s article “Oscar Pistorius and South Africa’s Culture of Violence”,published in TIME magazine, Perry investigates the brutal killing of Reeva Steenkamp as a symptom of South Africa’s broader societal issues. The extract opens with the high-profile case, but quickly shifts to expose the deeper, systemic problem of normalized violence, corruption, and inequality within South African society. Writing for an international audience of educated readers, Perry adopts a professional, investigative tone to both inform and provoke reflection. Through the use of statistics, juxtaposition, and emotionally charged language, Perry critiques the illusion of progress in post-apartheid South Africa and alerts readers to the persistent and deep-rooted culture of violence that undermines justice and safety.

Final Takeaways